BWCA Prairie Portage wait times/lines? Boundary Waters Quetico Forum

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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum

Quetico Forum

Prairie Portage wait times/lines?

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Lailoken

07/05/2018 08:08PM

Hello, I normally go to the Quetico late late fall and only pass through ranger stations for self permiting. I'm going next week, so curious what should expect at ranger station.

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old_salt

07/05/2018 09:07PM

It all depends on time of day. If you arrive when they are busy, you will wait. Otherwise, no waiting. They process one party at a time.

Livin' the dream. Just another day in Paradise...

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timatkn

07/05/2018 11:41PM

At most I have only had one to two groups ahead of me. I think it takes maybe 10-15 minutes to process each group.

T

“Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” Henry David Thoreau

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billconner

07/06/2018 07:27AM

The last several years I've had no wait. They are far from selling out all the permits like years ago.

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AmarilloJim

07/06/2018 07:57AM

Saturdays at 8:00 AM you may have to wait some. I went through there on Tues. 6/5/18 at about 10:30 and had no wait.

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carmike

07/06/2018 09:58AM

I've never had a wait of more than 20 minutes...but that doesn't mean you won't.

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Lailoken

07/06/2018 10:01AM

Thanks all. I was not worried about and then read old BWCA Journal from 2007 in Ely that said someone had wait of hours.

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billconner

07/06/2018 12:46PM

That was during the decline from when reservations filled minutes from opening of res center 5 months to the day before entry. Now it seems you can practically find entries at every ranger station, walking up day of.

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old_salt

07/06/2018 06:26PM

When the line extends to the other end of the portage, that’s a problem...

Livin' the dream. Just another day in Paradise...

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billconner

07/06/2018 06:46PM

Iirc, it use to take longer because it was the best place to get fishing liscenses and outdoors cards. Now it seems its easier to get on line in advance.

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marsonite

07/06/2018 07:43PM

Don't get there over the lunch hour. I did that once and had to wait for almost an hour. It is noon to one IIRC.

Otherwise I've never had much of a line. Maybe one group in front of us.

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GraniteCliffs

07/06/2018 09:33PM

The old days were WAY worse. Each group took forever to process. The computers and technology have really sped the process up. As someone mentioned you should avoid the lunch hour. My waits are never very long and now you can wait in the building looking at maps or various things for sale.

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